At what age can human oocytes be obtained?
OBJECTIVE
To determine whether oocyte retrieval and in vitro maturation (IVM) is effective in girls undergoing fertility preservation before cancer treatment.


METHODS
Cohort study.


METHODS
Tertiary university medical center.


METHODS
Patients <or=20 years old before gonadotoxic chemotherapy undergoing ovarian cortex cryopreservation.


METHODS
Before ovarian cortex cryopreservation, oocytes in all observed follicles were aspirated, matured in vitro, and cryopreserved.


METHODS
Maturation of oocytes.


RESULTS
One hundred seventy-nine oocytes were detected in 17/19 patients (89%) aged 5-20 years. We found 7, 8, and 17 oocytes in patients 5, 8, and 10 years old, respectively. The median number of oocytes per patient was 9 (0-37). Maturation rate was 45/133 oocytes (34%). In total, 81 oocytes were cryopreserved. We cryopreserved 4 of 12 detected, 4 of 9 detected, 1 of 8 detected, and 4 of 9 detected IVM oocytes for patients aged 5-10, 11-14, 15-17, and 18-20 years old, respectively.


CONCLUSIONS
Patients undergoing ovarian cryopreservation could benefit from supplementary oocyte aspiration from the cortex. Surprisingly, oocytes were detected even in young premenarcheal girls. The number of oocytes detected, matured, and cryopreserved was not age dependent. Retrieved oocytes can be matured in vitro and cryopreserved. Because no pregnancy has yet resulted from this procedure it should be considered to be experimental. We describe the youngest patients to undergo ovum collection, IVM, and oocyte cryopreservation.
Revel
Ariel
A
Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, Hadassah Hebrew University Medical Center, Jerusalem, Israel. arielr2@hadassah.org.il
Revel-Vilk
Shoshana
S
Aizenman
Einat
E
Porat-Katz
Anat
A
Safran
Anat
A
Ben-Meir
Assaf
A
Weintraub
Michael
M
Shapira
Michael
M
Achache
Hanna
H
Laufer
Neri
N
D000293:Adolescent; D000367:Age Factors; D000375:Aging / Q000473:pathology* / Q000502:physiology*; D002470:Cell Survival; D002648:Child; D002675:Child, Preschool; D015331:Cohort Studies; D015925:Cryopreservation / Q000379:methods*; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D054315:Oocyte Retrieval / Q000379:methods*; D009865:Oocytes / Q000166:cytology* / Q000502:physiology*; D055815:Young Adult